Course content

The subject should give a general insight into and understanding and the relation between the physical environment, architecture, environmental aesthetics and people's persepsion, cogniton, assessment and preferences. Place theories and place studies are of special interest.

Learning outcome

The course will give the student knowledge about relationships between the physical environment - architecture, environmental aesthetics and their own and others perceptions, understanding, assessment, and aesthetic preferences. Skills in the place of theories and methods will form the basis for site studies. The exptertise will be a support to architectural and site evaluations as architects make in connection with most engineering tasks.

Learning methods and activities

The course is a self-study where relevant literature is discussed. The course is concluded with an evaluation of place and architecture.

Compulsory assignments

• Exercises

Required previous knowledge

Msc in Architecture, Planning or equivalent.

Course materials

Publications: Her er det godt å være, Om estetikk i omgivelsene (Cold, 2010) Aesthetics, Well-being and Health - abstracts on theoretical and empirical research within environmental aesthetics (Cold, ed., 1998). Aesthetics, Well-being and Health - essays within architecture and environmental aesthetics (Cold, ed., 2001). Articles: Steds- og arkitekturevaluering i Antologi om norsk miljøpsykologi (under trykking). Semantisk differensial (Hauge, 2003), The Gap (Johannsen, 2003). The Evaluative Image of Places (Nasar, 2000) i Person-Environment Psychology New Directions and Perspectives. (W. B. Walsh, K. H. Craik, R. H. Price (eds) . Second Edition. Lawrence Erlbaum Ass. Publ., London. Tre artikler om miljøpsykologi (Åshild Lappegard Hauge, Einar Strumse, Arnulf Kolstad) i Tidsskrift for Norsk Psykolog Forening, August 2007, Nr 8 - Vol 44. Johansson, M., Küller, R., Laike, T., Thufvesson, C. (2007). Den fysiska miljöns betydelse för sjukvård och omsorg. Ett miljöpsykologisk perspektiv. Omsorg 2, 2007.(side 47 - 52). Sverige.